Every night, Ben and I try to spend few minutes reading for leisure. Most of the time, he reaches for the latest prize-winning nonfiction, and I opt for (surprise!) a cooking magazine. It suits us. He can count on me for an unending supply of fresh dinners like today’s Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles, and I can rest assured that he’ll always have an intelligent topic for us to discuss while we eat them.
Well, except for that one time he was reading about a shipwreck in the Arctic Ocean, and I kept changing the subject. As someone who is freezing when the temperature dips below 68 degrees, I can only handle so much information about surviving amongst ice caps.
Meanwhile, on my side of the bed, the reading material is much warmer. The most recent magazines to land on our doorstep have been filled with gorgeous, glossy photos of a food group that is hitting its peak: VEGETABLES.
Summer is produce primetime. If you’ve been looking to incorporate more veggies into your diet, there could not be a better time of year (or a better recipe!) to begin.
The Making of Healthy Shrimp Scampi
Although I’m conscious of making sure we have vegetables at every meal, with the exception of hearty, main dish salads, I typically serve them on the side versus as the true base of the dish.
After a solid hour of ogling magazine spreads depicting epic, veggie-centric, farm-to-table feasts (including one prepared by the author of my latest cookbook impulse buy), however, I decided that it was time to take my vegetable game one step farther:Â zucchini noodles.
{Side note: have you ever noticed how many different shapes of glassware and dishware are used in those farm table photo shoots? Does every barn have a bottomless supply of custom pottery and mason jars just waiting to be placed at the table on a casual Tuesday night? If so, I’m a little jealous…of the supply, not the clean up.}
Back to Healthy Shrimp Scampi!
This healthy shrimp recipe a lightened-up, veggie-fied twist on classic shrimp scampi, a dish traditionally made with pasta, butter, lemon, more butter, garlic, and extra butter. I kept the essentials—the garlic, lemon, Parm, and, yes, the butter—but modified the amounts of each to make the recipe more balanced. (Sidenote: My Baked Shrimp Scampi and Garlic Shrimp with Quinoa are two other healthy shrimp recipes inspired by shrimp scampi!)
The biggest, most obvious healthy shrimp scampi swap is that I’ve replaced the traditional pasta noodles with zucchini noodles (a.k.a. zoodles) I made using this spiralizer. I am a relative latecomer to the sprializer game, but I am oh so happy to be here at last.
Not only are the zoodles a healthy, low-calorie, and low-carb option to replace pasta, but their mild flavor can easily adapt to a wide range of flavors, including the heap of lemon and garlic you’ll find in this light shrimp scampi recipe. (Looking to use up more zucchini? Try this fast and easy Zucchini Stir Fry.) Looking to add another boost of veggies? Try serving Oven Roasted Asparagus alongside this recipe)
Recipe Adaptations
- To Add Pasta. If you aren’t ready to go all veg, you can also do a 50-50 blend of zucchini noodles and whole wheat pasta noodles. (Looking for another veg-heavy noodle dish? Garlic Shrimp Pasta or Healthy Shrimp Pad Thai might fit the bill!)
- Shrimp Scampi with Wine. To make the recipe as accessible as possible, I made this healthy shrimp scampi without wine, opting for chicken stock instead. Most shrimp scampi recipes do call for wine, so if you’d like to stick with tradition (or need another good reason to open a bottle), you can certainly add any dry white wine you’d also enjoy sipping alongside your serving.
More Healthy Shrimp Recipes To Enjoy
- Garlic Shrimp with Quinoa
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta
- Lemon Shrimp Pasta with Orzo
- Shrimp Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes
- Healthy Shrimp Alfredo
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
- Â Spiralizer
- This enamel/cast iron braiser (this is another good, more affordable option)
Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 pound large raw shrimp peeled and deveined with tails on (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or white wine
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini noodles from about 4 medium zucchini
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes, until the shrimp are beginning to cook but are still somewhat translucent.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, just until the shrimp are completely opaque and cooked through. Stir in the zucchini noodles and parsley. Toss the noodles with the shrimp so that they are coated with the garlic-lemon sauce and heat just until warmed through. (Do not overcook or the zucchini noodles will become mushy.) Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan. Serve warm.
Nutrition
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This was super easy and delicious.
I think the “sauce” of wine, garlic (lots) and onions was the key ingredient.
The sauce was so good, we soaked it up with a nice crispy Italian bread.
ps
I added capers.
Great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Sophie! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow! I loved this! The broth came out so good. I usually am not one to like veggie noodles, but I didn’t even miss the pasta because the flavors were so awesome. Def will be making again & again. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Katie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Loved it. Used zucchini from my garden and everything tasted so good. Appreciate healthier version using less butter. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it Mindy! Thank you for this kind review!
Delishious
Added to my menu.
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed this dish! Thank you for this kind review!
So yummy & quick to make!
Hi Shannon! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Are you able to tell me how much a serving size is? I find it difficult when it just says :1/4 of recipe” is a serving size. It’s easier for me to measure my food out–1 cup, 2 cups? What is a serving size of this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Alyssa! I didn’t measure the size of each serving, so unfortunately I don’t have a number to give! I’d recommend taking a look at your skillet and dividing it into quarters to visualize how big each serving size will be, then measuring it. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try!
This is such a good and easy recipe. I happened to have some scallops, so I cut them up in quarters and added them the same time as the shrimp (3/4 lb shrimp and 3/4 lb scallops). My family said it tased like a restaurant meal. With the shrimp, scallops, and everything else it cost me less than $6.00 per person for the entire meal.
Hi Marc! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this tonight. I left out the salt since my butter was salted, extra onions and garlic of course. I’m allergic to citrus, so added a lil extra cooking wine. Very good indeed and a keeper for sure! 😊
Hi Emily! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Delish….I have made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Using both wine and chicken broth and both.
Delicious every way! Thank you for the great recipe.
Hi Deb! YAY! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Thought it was great. Had unexpected company, it was a hit.
Hi Gayle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This is a great recipe! The sauce was so flavorful – and I loved using zoodles instead of carb-heavy pasta! This will definitely be part of my rotation. Thanks for sharing your tasty recipe – and I also enjoyed the variation ideas you posted. 😊
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious! Even hubby enjoyed it which is amazing since he’s a true meat and potato/pasta guy.
Hi Lydia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made this tonight with Palmini angel hair (hearts of palm) because I didn’t have zucchini noodles. It was so easy to make and really tasty. Will definitely make it again!
Hi Judith! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Just made this for dinner. I used half zucchini noodles and half pasta because I like the different textures. Other than that I followed the recipe completely (I used wine not stock). I really enjoyed the flavor and will make this again. Note, this goes fast so it is very important to have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking.
Hi Maf! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Best simple zoodle dish I ever ate! Thank you so much for this recipe :D
Hi Danara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Very delicious! Sauce was a little runny but flavorful. Will make again!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wow!! This recipe was fantastic. I made with white wine and followed the recipe exactly. The sauce tastes like restaurant quality. So yummy and I didn’t miss regular noodles at all. Has a really nice kick to it! Saving this to make time and time again!
Hi Rachel! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So delicious and lemony! Easy to make and wonderful combination of flavors.
Hi Kristina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!